Method of marking records



y 2, 1933- J. c. BUZZELLI METHOD OF MARKING RECORDS Filed Dec. 18, 1931 INVENTOR.

JuhusCEfmzzelh,

Patented May 2, 1933 train;

JULIUS o. BUZZELLI, or eavnarr nnw JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T RADIO comma.

TION OF AIYIERICA',.INO.,.A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE,

v METHOD or" MARKING RECORDS- .Ap'plication filed-December 18, 1931'. Serial No, 581,812;

My invention relates to amethod of applyingmarkingsto articles and, moreparticularly, to a method of. applying indlcla to phonograph record tablets.

' 5 Variousmethods of-applying titles, identification numerals and the like torecorditablets are employed. One of: the most commonlyusedEisthe-pasting of a paper label, with the desired markings printedv thereon,

upon the unrecorded-area usually left at the centenof-afinisl1ed record;

Another method with which}am'familiar is to :roughen; or 'mat the unrecorded, smooth surface left at the center of the. finished record=itablet. As this matted surface will take inli, it isxpossible-to print the markings; directly, thereon.

The above methods are objectionable in that"; they require considerabletime and a number of: operations tozbe performediv Another inherent disadvantage in the methods above-notedis the possibility: of applyingrthe wrong lahel or'printingstamp to the records. This would necessitate. the

scrapping of the records or else the correction of the error, which, obviously, consumes additional time and also adds to the production cost.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of 39 my invention to provide a method of mark ing phonograph record tablets that will not be subject to the disadvantages pointed out above.

Another object ofmy invention is to provide a method of marking phonograph record tablets by one simple operation, whereby any number of records made from a master record are identically marked.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a method of marking phonograph record tablets, whereby the markings are impressed simultaneously with the pressing of the sound grooves in the record material.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In carrying out my invention, I have found that by stamping suitable data such as numerals, letters or other characters with ordinary lithographers ink upon the smooth unrecorded surface left at the center of the original wax. record, upon metallizing; the record electrolytically in the usuallway, the ink markings will give rise toroughenedmr matted impressions in. the metal coating; The matted impressions, in turn, produce 755 slightly elevated'matted markings upon the finished records, when they are moulded, vby pressing betweenrmatrices in amanner Well understoodrby those skilled in the-art.

The invention will, however,- be more clearly understood'from the followingdescription when taken in. connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which: f

Fig.- 1-.is a'view inperspective illustrating ast'ep in my method of recorctmarking, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a finished record tablet with identification.markingsfprodhced thereon by. my improvedimethoch V Referring now to the drawing, wherein like: numerals refer to like parts, there is shown in Fig; 1 an original. wax record: 10 havin recordedthereon the sound grooves 11. is customary,.'I provide an. unrecorded: areal 12-ofa size suitable'to accommodatethetitle'or such other; indici'aas it may bedesired toplace upon the finished record; tablets. -i f lVithin the unrecorded space: 12; whichchas a. smooth sunface,.-I printasuitahle markings 13. Ill-have; found. that an) ordinary. rubber stamp. and lithographers ink are suitable for this- =purpose, but it: is to. be understood: that other inks on paints might: beuusedwith equally. satisfactory results and; thatthe markings may be appliedin; any siiitable Way. other than by a rubber stamp; H After-v the markings have :been stamped upon. the record 10in: the? ahove described manner, theink is allowed to dnyxand. the record surface is then'meta-lli'zed: in the usual W manner;

I'n lofthe drawing, Ithaveillustrated the metaLcovering or commonly called-master matrix: 14: as it appears after it has beenremoved: fronr the surface of theoriginal record 10, with the ink markingslaas having made matteddepressions 1:5: therein. Incontrast to the'matted' depressions 15,,the surface 16, on which they-.havebeenimpressed and 1 which" corresponds to:thesurface.12v on which the numerals 18 were stamped, is relatively smooth.

From the master matrix 14, a so called master metal mould is electrolytically formed, and from the master mould, any desired number of record pressing matrices are made, likewise by electro-deposition.

It will be apparent from the method described above, that the working surfaces of the master mould and the pressing matrices are, respectively, counterparts of the surface of the original wax record 10 and the surface of the master matrix 14:, and for this reason, they have not been illustrated in the drawing. However, it will readily be under stood from the foregoing description that the record pressing matrices have on the surface thereof matted depressions in'addition to the usual grooves which are negative to the sound grooves on the original wax record.

From these matrices, the-final finished record tablets are pressed, and I have found that the matted depressions on the inatrices produce on the record tabletr'aised matted markings which, in outline, are a counterpart of the markings which were stamped on the master wax record 10.

Fig. 2 of the drawing shows a finished record tablet 17 on which numerals 18 have been reproduced by the method described above. Thenumerals 18 are slightly raised and have a matted surface and, although they are of the same material and color as the finished record tablet, they stand out quite clearly in contrast to the surrounding surface 19 which is smooth and glossy.

From the above description, it will be apparent that the legibility of the markings 18 depends on the reflected light from the surrounding surface 19 in contrast to the scattered light reflected from the matted surface of the markings.

It will, therefore, be readily understood that I may reverse these conditions; thatis, in preparing the master record, I may arrange to have the markings as smooth open spaces within an inked background. This would produce, upon the finished record tablets, smooth, light reflecting indicia upon a matted background. i 1

Although I have shown and described a preferred method of applying my invention to the marking of record tablets, it is obvious that my invention is not necessarily limited to the reproduction of markings, designs and the like upon phonograph records and that the method comprising my invention is equally applicable to the placing of markings upon other articles. Hence no unnecessary limitations are to be understood except as required by the appended claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In the method. of preparing a record matrix, the steps which consist in applying markings upon a master record, and causing a metallic coating to be deposited upon the surface of said master record.

'2. In the method of preparing a record matrix, the steps which consist in applying markings with an inked stamp to a master record and causing a metallic coating to be deposited upon the surface of said master record.

3. In the method of preparing a record matrix, the steps which consist in stamping markings upon a master record, and causing a metalliccoating to be deposited upon the surfaceof said master record. 4. Inthe method of preparing a record matrix, the steps which consist in stamping markings upon a master record with a resilient stamp, and causing a metallic coating to be deposited upon the surface of said master record 5. In the'amethod of preparing a record matrix, the steps which consist in stamping markings upon a master record with an inked, resilient stamp, and causing a metallic coating to be deposited upon the surface of said master record.

6. The method of forming a record matrix which comprises placing markings upon a master record provided with sound grooves, and thereafter electroplating both said grooves and said markings in a continuous operation.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said groovesand said markings are simultaneously electroplated.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 14th day of December,

JULIUS C. BUZZELLI. 

